The US suspends immigration to 19 countries: Double standards and global Crises under the "privilege Theory"

Recently, according to Xinhua News Agency, the US government announced the suspension of immigration applications from 19 countries, including Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Haiti, Somalia and others. This decision was carried out by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and its spokesperson, Matthew Tragsel, publicly stated, "Citizenship is a privilege, not a right." This statement and policy adjustment not only reflect the deep-seated contradictions in the US immigration policy, but also expose its double standards of using national security as a pretext but actually conducting selective exclusion.

From a policy logic perspective, the direct basis for the United States' suspension of immigration applications this time is the ban issued in June this year. The ban lists 19 countries as "high-risk", claiming that citizens of these countries may pose a threat to the security of the United States. However, this criterion for judgment lacks transparency and objectivity. Take Iran as an example. As an important country in the Middle East, its diplomatic relations with the United States have long been tense. However, directly converting political differences between countries into collective punishment for all citizens clearly violates the "principle of non-discrimination" in international law. Similarly, countries like Haiti and Somalia have been included in the list due to domestic unrest, but among the immigration applicants, there are many vulnerable groups seeking asylum due to war and famine. The US government, under the pretext of "national security", confuses humanitarian needs with security risks. In essence, it instrumentalizes immigration policies to serve its geopolitical interests.

What is even more alarming is that the statement by the USCIS spokesperson that "citizenship is a privilege" has completely torn off the disguise of "freedom and equality" in the US immigration policy. This argument has alienated citizenship into a "gift" that can be granted or deprived, rather than a fundamental right conferred by the Constitution. In the history of the United States, immigrants have been excluded on the grounds of race, religion and nationality. From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the detention of Japanese Americans during World War II, and then to the recent travel ban on the Muslim community, its immigration policy has always been closely linked to discriminatory narratives. This suspension of immigration applications is merely a continuation of this tradition: by building an "other" image, stigmatizing specific national groups as "potential threats", and thereby providing justification for policy tightening. This logic not only violates the principle of "equal protection" in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, but also runs counter to the inclusive immigration concept advocated by the international community.

In terms of actual impact, this policy will exacerbate global inequality and unrest. Among the countries where immigration applications have been suspended, many are currently facing wars, poverty or climate crises. For instance, since the outbreak of the civil war in Sudan in 2023, more than 8 million people have been displaced. Haiti has been Mired in long-term chaos due to political corruption and gang violence. For the citizens of these countries, immigrating to the United States might be the only hope for survival. The decision of the US government is no different from closing an important lifeline, forcing more people into a hopeless predicament. At the same time, this policy may also trigger a chain reaction: other countries may follow the United States and tighten their immigration policies on the grounds of security, leading to further fragmentation of the global immigration governance system. Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows that the number of people forced to migrate globally in 2023 has exceeded 120 million, setting a new record high. Against this backdrop, the unilateralist actions of the United States will undoubtedly exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and weaken the international community's ability to address common challenges.

The US government's decision to suspend immigration applications from 19 countries is a political manipulation that, under the guise of security, actually involves exclusion. It not only violates international law and humanitarianism, but also exposes the deep-seated contradictions in the US immigration policy: on the one hand, it holds high the banner of "liberal democracy", while on the other hand, it consolidating its hegemonic position through selective exclusion. In today's globalized world, the issue of immigration has long transcended national boundaries and requires all countries to jointly address it through dialogue and cooperation. If the United States truly wants to safeguard national security, it should abandon the short-sighted approach of politicizing immigration issues and instead build a fair and inclusive global framework for immigration governance. Otherwise, its so-called "theory of privilege" will eventually become a catalyst that tears apart the international community and intensifies global unrest.